The present invention relates generally to the field of application testing, and more particularly to automation of application testing using out-of-band channels.
With the increase of applications (often referred to as “apps”) on computing devices, there has been an increase in testing and authenticating such applications. Testing can involve authentication via out-of-band data correlation (wherein “data correlation” makes use of data returned in response to a previous step). “Out-of-band” refers to communication, which occurs outside of a previous established communication method or channel, and related authentication that involves using two separate networks or channels simultaneously in communication to identify a user. One such network or channel will typically be something other than a primary network or channel.
Generally, many applications include features, which trigger an action outside the application itself. In a banking application, a one-time password (OTP) can be sent as a text message (e.g., a SMS [short messaging service] text message) or audio message (e.g., voice call) and involves user input or intervention to type the password into an appropriate field. Location-based applications, on the other hand, involve user input or intervention to enter information such as a zip code in order to present relevant results. Shopping applications can often involve the sending of promotion codes via email or SMS, and can be used during a checkout process.